In the construction industry it is desirable to effectively manage construction projects. In construction a general or prime contractor, herein after general contractor, must manage a variety of ongoing projects. Overlapping the projects is the need to manage relationships with many individuals including project owners, architects, sub-contractors, material suppliers and inspectors.
One of the critical functions in a construction project is to manage the submittal of information and materials to meet specifications. In almost all construction projects it is typical for the architect and engineering design firms to determine a project design and to set the specifications for materials to meet the design parameters. Once the specifications are set, contractors and subcontractors working on the project must make submittals of material specifications to meet the requirements set. A big job for those involved with a construction project is to manage these submittals and to receive timely approvals to requests to keep a construction project moving forward.
In today's construction environment large fines and penalties can be exacted against entities that fail to act in a timely and efficient manner. These fines can lead to litigation associated with when submittals were made and who is responsible for delays (“submittal information”). In many cases stacks of files and paperwork must be stored for years by each entity involved with a project to create a paperwork trail of what happened when (“submittal history”). With fines and the threat of litigation, documentation has become a critical element for the contractor who plans to succeed in managing construction projects.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,038,547 shows construction management software designed to assist in tracking job completion and payments to subcontractors for percentage of work completion. Use of this software by a general contractor would solve some problems associated with project management. This software does not offer assistance to the contractor or others in tracking the process of creating, tracking and storing submittals and submittal information.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,050 offers a software to develop bids and to manage the scheduling of projects. Again this software does not propose to manage submittals and does not provide a networked solution to project management.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,446,053 provides a networked system of developing and submitting a bid proposal for a construction project. This system primarily allows the user to develop a project on line and to store it so that contractors can access and bid on the job. The system does not allow the user to create, manage or store submittals concerning material specifications of the project.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,393,410 provides a networked construction management system. The system stores shop drawings and project specifications on line in such a way that professionals in the construction industry can purchase project plans on-line and can submit proposals on the projects. Again the system does not allow for creation, management or storage of submittals made in the process of completing a construction project.
As can be seen there is a need for a networked system that allows the range of construction professionals to be involved in the creation of submittals, the management of those submittals and the storage of submittal information for future use or sale.